Charities

RN Charities give over £3million every year to help thousands ofserving and former Naval Service people and their families

Help is given to meet many varied needs including:

Rent and mortgage paymentChild CareDisability aidsRemoval expensesFood and clothingMedical expensesFinancial problemsGas and electricityHousehold goods and house repairsTraining for second careers

Some of the Main RN and RM Charities

Greenwich Hospital

Greenwich Hospital is the Royal Navy's oldest charity. A Crown charity established by Royal Charter in 1694, it provides charitable support to serving and retired men and women of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines and to their dependants, including the education of their children.

It does this through providing sheltered housing, pensions and grants to naval charities. The Hospital owns the Royal Hospital School , a co-educational boarding school at Holbrook near Ipswich , principally for the children and grandchildren of naval and other seafaring families. Also the Hospital makes some other educational grants.

If you are a serving member of the Royal Navy or Royal Marines you are eligible for educational support from Greenwich Hospital at the Royal Hospital School . This support does not depend on whether or not you are eligible for Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA), formerly Boarding School Allowance (BSA).

The White Ensign Association

The White Ensign Association is an independent charity staffed by former Royal Navy and Royal Marines officers. Founded in 1958 it provides a link between the Naval Service and the civilian world.

Objects of the Association

The principal objects of the Association are to assist and promote the interests of those who are serving or have at any time served in the Royal Navy, in the Royal Marines, in any Royal Naval or Royal Marine Reserve, or in the Women's Royal Naval Service or Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service in such ways as shall from time to time be thought fit, and in particular by providing:

Financial Advice: In connection with investments, house purchase, insurance (including educational costs and school fees); pensions and commutation.

Information and Advice: To any such persons seeking to establish themselves in trade or business; and giving suitable introductions to, any such persons seeking employment in finance, commerce or industry.

General Information and Advice: To those leaving the Service and seeking to settle in civilian life and guidance, information, and advice of a general welfare nature in suitable cases appropriate to the position and facilities of the Association.

The Royal Naval Benevolent Trust

From the day they join the Royal Navy or Royal Marines, all ratings and other ranks are part of the "RNBT Family"; so are their wives, husbands and dependant children. For the rest of their lives they may seek help from the RNBT in times of need. They may be assisted in the following ways:

Financial grants covering a wide range of individual needs

Regular payments to supplement the income of older people (annuities)

Support to other organisations which assist the "RNBT Family"

Care of older people at Pembroke House, the RNBT's own residential nursing home at Gillingham, Kent

The Royal Naval Association

The Royal Naval Association (RNA) is the principle organisation for those who have served in our Naval Forces. It aims to foster comradeship and "esprit de corps" amongst those who served or are serving in our Naval Forces. It also provides relief from conditions of need or distress, to persons who serve in or have served in our Naval Forces and all dependents of such persons.

The RN & RM Children's Fund

This fund is the premier charity for providing help to children of serving and ex-serving personnel of the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service and the reserves of those forces where children are in need, hardship or distress. Support can be in the form of one-off payments or long term support and care and includes:

Support for children in their own homes in Children's Homes & in schools.

Support for children in special needs establishments.

Applications for funds are kept as simple as possible and those seeking assistance can contact the office direct for an application. All enquiries and applications are completely confidential. Whilst operating from a Naval Base the Charity is totally independent.

Women's Royal Naval Service Benevolent Trust

No one knows what tomorrow holds in store for them, as was the case with ex POWren (QA) Rebecca Anderson. Whilst still serving Rebecca had a climbing accident and is now confined to a wheelchair. The WRNS Benevolent Trust, along with other Naval Charities paid for adaptations to her house to ensure that she was able to stay in her own home. Every ex Wren or female serving, or former member of the Royal Navy, who joined the Service between September 1939 and November 1993 is automatically a member. Their dependants are also eligible for consideration of financial help. The financial assistance given by the Trust is varied and includes:

Grants to help with arrears or debts, removal or travel cost, convalescence care, education, household goods and repairs, medical aids, medical fees and in some cases, funerals.

Regular Grants to help those on low incomes.

Annuities for members of state pensionable age living on a low income.

If you know of any ex-Wren who may be in need of assistance or would like further information please contact: WRNS BT, 311 Twyford Ave, Portsmouth, PO2 8PE.

Tel: 023 9265 5301

The Royal Naval Benevolent Society for Officers

Founded in 1739, the Society provides financial assistance to any Active and Retired List officers and their respective Reserves, their wives, ex-wives and dependents who are in financial need. Officers who have served or who are serving on the Active List of the RN, RM or QARNNS can become members of the Society and, as such, are eligible for a higher level of grant. However officers who are non-members are also assisted in a variety of ways. Last year the Society made grants totalling £200,000 to regular annuitants and one-off cases. In 1997 the RNBSO took over the responsibilities and assets of the RN and RM Special Duties Officers Benevolent Fund.

The Royal Marines Benevolent Fund

The Royal Marines Benevolent Fund's principal purpose is to benefit persons who are serving or who have served in the Royal Marines, or their dependants, to relieve need, hardship or distress. The Fund was formed in 1997 and subsumed the following funds and their purposes:

The Upton Kelly Memorial Fund. The aim of the fund is to relieve distress or necessity amongst officers who have served in the Royal Marines, officers' widows, and their dependants.

Royal Marines Tercentenary Relief Fund. The purpose of this fund is to provide on death, from any causes, for either serving Royal Marines, or a Reservist on duty, a sum of money for the widow or recorded next of kin to relieve initial financial problems. The sum of money authorised may be altered from time to time by the Trustees; the grant is currently £2,750.

Royal Marines Welfare Fund. The income to this fund may be used to relieve distress amongst serving and retired Warrant Officers, non-commissioned officers and men of the Royal Marines, their widows and dependants.

Royal Marines Band Benevolent Fund. The fund is used to relieve needy or distressed, serving or retired RM Band Service ranks or their dependants. The income is derived from donations, dividends and interest.

RSR

RSR - affectionately known as Aggies was founded by Dame Agnes Weston in 1876, providing Christian ministry and support to serving sailors, marines and their wives and families.

Today RSR has Centres at Rowner in Gosport and in Helensburgh that support the local naval bases. RSR Rowner provides daytime support, recreation and NVQ courses for Service personnel and families from the nearby-married quarters estate.

RSR Helensburgh (Braeholm) supports those who serve in Scotland and the Clyde Naval Base area with a centre, which has 17 family, double, twin and single ensuite bedrooms and is a great facility on offer to all members of the Naval Service, the Royal Naval Association and their families.

RSR has also appointed ten Chaplaincy Support Workers (CSW) with the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. Information on their work and other special projects such as RN debt support and the Aggies phone card can be found at: